Safety device for cranking and electric starter for automobiles



May 20, 1930. R. LITTLER. SR

SAFETY DEVICE FOR GRANKING AND ELECTRIC STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed llarch 7, 1927 Patented May 20, 193( 1 a. F CE ROBERT LITTLER, SR, OF'PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To MARTHA E.

LIIIITTLERZ F PHILADELPHIA; PEN SYLVANIA Application filed March 7,

' My invention relates to new and useful improvement for safety devices for cranking and electr c starter for automobiles, and has for its object to provide aneixceedingly sim- 7 mobile carrying the apron or-shi eld plate 11' pie and efiective device of this description which will eliminate the possibility of starting the engine of an automobile either by cranking or by the usual electric starter unless the shift is in neutral.

A further object of my invention is to so construct such a device that it will automatically function in co-faction with thegear shift ing lever. I

With these and other endsinview:

Fig. '1, is aplan view of a portion of an automobile chassis showing my improved safety device applied thereto. a "Fig. 2, is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

v Fig. 3, is a front end view of a'portion of the machine showing the apron or" shield plate through which the crank for starting the engine is usually inserted.

Fig. 4c, is adetail of the safety slide plate. In carrying out my invention ashore embodied, represents a portionof an autoin thefront thereof, which apron has the usual hole or opening 12 for the insertion of l the crank for starting the engine which latter is indicatedat 13 in Fig. 2.

14 represents the safety slideplate whichis mounted in the guide ways 15 soto slide.

back andforth crosswise-of the hole 12, and in this slide is also formedfa'hole 16f ofthe same generalsize as the hole-7'12; theobject' being when theholeQlGregisters with the hole bearing 18, the latter'b'eing"mounted in the 1 frame of the machine, and the loweren'd of this short shaft carries the arm. 19 which is. 1' connectedbythe link 20 with the safetyslide 12 the crank may be inserted before starting the engine, but when these holes do not register the crank cannot be inserted; and conesquently the engine cannot be started. I

17 represents ashort"shaft journalled jinto plate 14 by-the stud 21.

he upper end of short shaftl? carriesthe short lever 22; and this short lever is connected with the lever 23 bythe connecting rod24e 69' the lever 23 being'secured on o'ne end of the V cult 192?. Srial'No. 173,405.

horizontal shaft 25, the latter being mounted insult-able bearings' 26 secured to the-instrument board 2'. or some other convenient por-.

ti onof'the machine. Upon the opposite end or th s horizontal shaft issecured a lever 28. to wh ch is pivoted the connecting rod '29,

the lower end of said rod being pivoted .to the electric actuating switch bar 30, which latter 7 is pivoted to the bracket 31 mountedupon the machin'e.--' x V a 32 represents the movable member of an that when the bar isin the position shown n F g. 2sthe circuit 34, which. includes the starting motor 33, will be closed with the ex ceptlon of foot switch so thatthe actuation of this switch 35 will permit the motor 33 to be put into operation in-the usual manner," butwhenvthe actuating-bar 30 is drawn outof v y A contact withthe. movable member'32, this cire will be opened and therefore, the motor cannot be started even though the foot switch 35 closed. I i I 3drepresents an arm secured to" the horiQ zontal' shaft 25, and this arm is connected by motor may be putinto operation or a crank .GlGOtIlC switch or circuit closer so mounted may b'efi'n'serted through the 'hole 12 for the starting of the engine manually,--but when the lever 1S moved e ther forwarder backward the" mechanismifpreviously described will toonegside or the'other thus carrying the hole 16 out of alignment with the hole 12, thereby. preyentingthe running of the starting motor or: the lilSrtmnf ofa "crankfor starting the;

eng n Fmmjthefor g i g d scr ption it will be obvious {th t the engine *of the automobileequipped; with my] improved safety device;

cannot be started when the transmission is inopenfjthe i'circuit through the movable mem ber32 and will shift the safety slide plat-e1 1,

gear thuslentirely avoiding the many g and ser ous" accidents and loss of life incident to.

thec present.constructionof such'machinesi;

. my invention rests in thebroad; i

idea of 'preventingthe, manual orankingor power starting'of the engine of a motor ve- V I hlcle when the-transmlssron is set fortransrnitting power from the engine to the drive wheels of the vehicle, and I therefore, do not I 7 limit myself tothedetails of construction 3 here shown, asthesema-y bevariedwithin the V scope of the appended-claims without de partingv from the spirit of myinvention'.

Having thus fully. described my invention,

what I claim as new and useful is:

I safety deviceforautomobiles, an

aproncarried by the automobile and pro- 15 v V v horizontal guides on said apron, one above "and the other below the opening, an aper vided: with an opening in alignment with the, crank shaft, 'ajpair of "parallel transverse or a crank except when: the transmission lever is ina neutral position. In testimony whereof I aflixed my signature. a

RQBERT LITTLE R, SR.

have hereunto a so tured plate slidablymounted in said guides to prevent inse'rtionofax-crank forgengagement with the engine shaftexcept when the V aperture in said plate registers with the hole in the .apron, said' plate-being supported by v the guides to prevent accidental deformation thereoflan horizontal shaft, arms carried by said shaft means to'gconnect one of said arms with the transmission lever of the auto- 7 mobile a verticalshaft, means'to connect the Izontally in the I V V 2. The structure set forthin-the claim 1 7 other arm of the-horizontal shaft with one h of the arms of; theverticalshaft and a link to connect the otheri'arm of the ertical shaft with'the plate whereby operation of the i I transmission{lever'will slide the plate hori gu des.

in ciombin ation with a starting'moton'anjeleo V trical'ci-rcuit including said motor, a source of electrical energ a-sw1toh arid a circuit 1 breaker, meansco-operatingwith'the cireuit 3 breakerto actuate the same, anotherarm on '140 the horizontal shaft and-meansto connect V said last named arm'withthe circuit breaker actuating-means whereby said'circuit breaker "when the aperture i l m i fi wi hithst F d fuieshafi; m an i erankreceivingsen slide and the electrical circuit put inoperative rendition only" when the aperture in the" In 2; an e of the kind disclosedp the were applicatie fbf eflti gi mfl"w pt.

e actuating the "circuitvhreaker andfa'mecha 'nismconnected with the apertured-meians, the i l circuitjbreakeractuating means and the auto obile transmissionlever whereby movement I v ofthe latter willoperateboth last mentioned 7 simultaneouslyfto-iprevent starting of a i 'thjengirie hymeans"of"the fstartingfmotor will be simultaneously operated with the 1 

